Safety fastening for skis, especially in front



April 30, 1968 5. P. J. SALOMON SAFETY FASTENING FOR SKIS, ESPECIALLY IN FRONT 2 Sheets-Shet 1 Filed Feb. 9,

April 30, 1968 G. P. J. SALOMON SAFETY FASTENING FOR SKIS, ESPECIALLY IN FRONT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 9, 1968 United States Patent Ofitice 3,336,749 Patented Apr. 30, 1968 81 7 illairns. (Cl. 289-4135) ABSTRACT 3F THE DISCLOSURE Safety binding for holding the front of a shoe on a ski which comprises a jaw for encircling the tip of the shoe pivotable at the right-hand side of a link located across the ski, the said link is pivotable on the ski at its left-hand side about an axle, a pin fixed on the right-hand side of the ski behind the link, a spring connected between the jaw and the ski for providing a thrust action of the link against the pin and of a projection of the jaw against the said axle, whereby, when the jaw is tripped by the shoe, the said pin and the said axle will contact the lateral surfaces of the jaw and limit the rotation of the latter.

The majority of presently known ski bindings exhibit numerous inconveniences among which: construction complexity, unreliability of the release action attributable to the slipping of parts of the said bindings, lack of automatic return of the binding element (jaw or the like) to the normal shoe holding position, and others.

The present invention purports to offer a remedy to the aforementioned inconveniences and to do so in a simple and efficient manner while permitting, among other things, to offer excellent safety hold release. According to the invention, the binding comprises a holding element, such as a jaw, encircling the tip of the shoe, articulated at the portion thereof opposite the said shoe, at the right or left side with respect to the longitudinal axis of the ski, on a short transverse link which is also pivotally end mounted on the right or left respectively, on the ski or on an element rigidly secured thereto, the short link being stopped in its pivotal movement in closed position, on the side of the pivotal axis of the jaw on the short link, on a pin, boss or the like fixedly secured to the ski or integral thereto. The jaw presents resilient means urging it to adopt and be centered in its shoe holding position, on the side, the short link engaging the stop element and, on the other side, the jaw engaging a stop element such as a pin, boss or the like of the short link, which is preferably constituted of the axial pivot thereof.

Advantageously, the resilient urging means of the jaw comprises a coiled tension spring or, preferably, a compressed coil spring acting between a fixed point on the ski or an element rigidly secured thereto and a point on the jaw.

When the shoe or boot urges pivotal movement, for instance towards the right, the jaw opens by tripping around the pivot located on the left side of the stop element, either of the short link on the ski or, of the jaw on the short link. Conversely, when there is pivotal urging towards the left, the jaw opens by tripping around the pivot located on the right side of the stop element, either of the short link on the ski or, of the jaw on the short link. It will be noticed that during the opening of the jaw by tripping around the pivot of the short link, the said short link and the jaw remain in unchanged relative positions, the jaw being constantly at rest against the pin, stop or the like, which is preferably constituted by the axial pivot of the said short link.

Forward displacement of the shoe is resisted, when the binding is in normal working position, in any of several ways, such as for instance, by means of a sufficiently strong spring; by means of a stop or limiting element against which the jaw rests, in normal operational position and from which it is disengaged when it opens or, furthermore, by means of a locking device for interlocking the jaw, the short link and the ski or an element integral thereto, for instance by means of a finger, ball or the like.

The invention will be better understood in the hereinafter disclosure of a preferred embodiment and reference to the annexed drawing, which is given by way of example.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the binding of the invention in normal operational shoe holding position;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the binding of FIG. 1 showing it in open position following pivotal movement towards the left of the tip of the shoe;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the binding of FIG. 1 showing it in open position following a pivotal rnevement towards the right of the tip of the shoe;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of an alternate embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a sectional elevation through a preferred means for resisting the forward displacement of the jaw responsive to the forward pressure of the shoe thereon;

FIGS. 6 and 7 are plan views of two different further embodiments of the invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the binding comprises a jaw 1 having a profiled portion 2. for receiving the tip of the shoe (the front or rear tip of the shoe as the case may be). It should be understood that, in accordance with the invention, one could use the binding for securing the rear or front of the shoe without departure from the principle of operation herein set forth. The jaw 1 is pivotally se cured at the front, on the right side, about an axis 3, on a short link 4 which is pivotally mounted at the left on an axis 5 integral to the ski, not shown, the short link 4 coming to rest in its pivotal movement towards the rear and around the axis 5 against a fixed pin 6 dependent on the ski. The jaw 1 is urged towards the rear by a compression spring 10 acting between and pivotally secured on a finger 11 dependent of the ski and a pin 12 dependent on the said jaw 1, having the resultant effect of placing the latter in shoe holding position, which is the position shown in FIG. 1 in which the short link 4 rests against the pin 6 and the jaw 1, the latter presenting a pin engaging projection 15, against the axis 5 which extends from the pivot of the short link 4.

Whenever a relatively strong leftwardly directed force is transmitted by the front portion of the shoe causes release (FIG. 2), the jaw 1 pivots around the axis 3 of the short link 4 which remains stationary in engagement with the post 6, while compressing the spring 19. The shoe is then liberated and the jaw 1 returns to its normal operative position (FIG. 1) through the action of the spring 19, it being clearly understood that the magnitude of the opening of the jaw 1 does not allow the axes of the pivot 3, the finger 11 and the post 12 to come into alignment.

When a relatively strong rightwardly directed force is transmitted by the front portion of the shoe and causes release (FIG. 3), the jaw 1 pivots around the axis 5 of the short link 4 which trips with the jaw 1, while compressing the spring 10. The shoe is then liberated, the jaw 1 returning to its original operative position (FIG. 1) under the influence of the spring 1%, it being well understood that the magnitude of the opening of jaw 1 is not to be such as to permit alignment of the axes of pivot 5, finger 11 and post 12.

It is to be noticed taht in both directions of opening of the jaw, irregardless of the compression of the spring and owing to the fact that, at the same time, the pivotal axes 11 and 12 of the spring and 3 or 5 of the jaw 1 tend to align themselves, there results a decreasing torque on the jaw 1, which means that an important initial stress is required to initiate the release action and henceforth it is increasingly easier to further the action leading to the release of the shoe to completion.

The binding power, resulting from an appropriate choice of the pivotal axes of the jaw, the short link and above all, of the spring, allows for an efiicient lateral hold, which as adjustable by shifting the position of the finger 11 on the ski and, an ability to resist strong axial stresses, by means of the spring, thereby conferring to the binding the ability to smoothly respond in all directions. However, one may consider, for example, for the purpose of obtaining a stronger hold and, also, a more sharp- 1y defined release, to positively render impossible any frontward movement of the jaw in the case of longitudinally applied stresses.

For instance, in FIG. 4 which shows a binding similar to that of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the jaw 20, similar to jaw 1, of the said figures, presents a peak shaped rear end 21 which comes to bear, in normal operative shoe holding position, against a fixed post 22 integrally dependent of the ski, for instance, of triangular crosssection, permitting overriding during the opening of the jaw 20. According to an alternative embodiment, not shown in the drawing, the bearing of the rear end 21 of jaw is eiiected against a stop device constituted by a bearing plate with a vertical axis, fixed in place or having rotational freedom.

Another way of realizing the locking of the jaw in operational position is shown in FIG. 5. Here, the desired locking effect is achieved by interlocking, for instance, by means of a vertical finger 3! of the jaw, for instance, 31, of the short link 4 and of the mounting plate 32 which is integrally dependent of the ski, the said finger being disposed in the corresponding vertical holes of the said jaws 31, short link 4 and mounting plate 32. The vertical holes of the jaws 31 and of the mounting plate 32 present on the side of their face which is in contact with the link 4, an entrance bevel 34 and 35 respectively. When the jaw 31 is urged to tilt to the right around the axis 5 of the short link 4, such as jaw 1 in FIG. 3, the bevel 35 of the mounting plate 32 acts on the lower end of the finger 30, soliciting it upwardly to penetrate into the vertical hole of the jaw 31, which produces a positive locking of the short link 4 with the jaw 31 and causes liberation of the short link 4-ja-w 31 assembly to pivot around the axis 5. It is evident that the finger 30 could be replaced by an equivalent such as a ball.

The binding shown in FIG. 6 does not differ from that shown in FIG. 1 except in that the means for rearwardly urging the jaw 40, similar to jaw 1 of FIG. 1, comprises Y a bearing roller urged rearwardly by a spring 42 mounted on a guiding rod 43 and acting by pressing at one end against the yoke 44 holding the roller 41 by means of an axial pivot 45 and at the other end against a mounting element 46 integrally dependent of the ski and in which the rod 43 is guide-d for longitudinally sliding therein. The roller 41 acts on a profiled portion 48, concave, of the forward end of the jaw 40, which introduces a progressiveness of the stress necessary for release of the hold.

The binding of FIG. 7 does not differ from that of FIG. 6 except in that it has a differently shaped ramp 49 of the forward end of the jaw 50 which is otherwise similar to jaw 40 of the said .FIG. 6. Here the ramp 49 has a convex profile. vIn this case, the necessity for a progressive stress is not as important as in the case of the binding of FIG. 6.

Furthermore, according to still another embodiment of the invention which is not shown in the drawing, the front end ramp of the jaw 40 (FIG. 6) or 5% (FIG. 7), against which the roller 41 takes bearing, is rectilinear.

It is noticed that the binding which is the object of the present invention is essentially asymmetrical because of the disposition of a pivotal axis (5) fixed integrally of the ski and a second axis (3) mobile for displacement according to a circular are around the first axis (5) and having a radius equal to the distance between the said axes. On the other hand, when release takes place laterally to one side or the other, only one of the axes (3 or 5) is operative.

It would not amount to a departure from the scope of the present invention to alter the number, the shape, the dimensions and the proportions of the various components of the binding, irregardless of the pivotal locking means of the jaw and of the short link, the locking or interlocking of the jaw, of the short link and of the mount ing plate and, whatever means are used for the return of the jaw to its normal operative shoe holding position or how such means are disposed.

I claim:

1. A safety binding for securely holding a shoe on a ski and safely releasing same under conditions of exces- 'sive laterally directed stressing, said safety binding comprising:

(a) a shoe engaging jaw member;

(b) 'a short transverse link and (d) resilient means for constantly urging said shoe engaging jaw member into normal shoe engaging operative position;

said jaw presenting a rear shoe engaging portion and a front portion; said front portion being pivotally secured to said transverse link at a point thereof which is offset to one side of the longitudinal axial plane of the ski;

said transverse link being secured through its other end on a pivot which is fixed with respect to said ski and offset to the other side of the longitudinal axial plane thereof;

first cooperating means on said jaw member and said transverse link for limiting their relative pivotal displacements;

further cooperating means on said ski and said 'link for limiting their relative pivotal displacetments, said further cooperating means being located in a position which is laterally oifset to the said one side; with respect to the longitudinal axial plane of the ski, whereas said first cooperating means are located in a position offset to the said other side :with respect to the said longitudinal axial plane of the ski;

said resilient means consisting of a spring acting in compression between a point on said jaw and a point on said ski.

2. A safety ski binding for releasably securing a shoe to a ski, presenting:

(a) first pivot means located forward of the shoe, on said ski and offset to one side with respect to the longitudinal center line of the ski;

(b) a transverse link pivotally dependent and mounted at one end on said first pivot means;

(0) first set of means for limiting the pivotal freedom of said link about said first pivot means to angular displacements forward of its normal transverse operative position (d) second pivot means located at the other end of said transverse link;

(e) a jaw member pivotally dependent and mounted on said second pivot means for relative pivotal movesnent of said jaw member and said link;

(i) second set of means for limiting the pivotal freedom of the jaw member about said second pivot means to angular displacements forward of the longit-udinal axial line of said link;

(g) compression spring means acting between said jaw member and a point which is integrally de- 5 pendent of and on the central longitudinal axis of said ski.

3. A safety ski binding as claimed in claim 2, wherein the said first and second sets of means for limiting pivotal freedom consist of po'sts.

4. A safety ski binding as claimed in claim 2, wherein interlocking means are used for alternatively locking the pivotal actions of the link relative to the ski and of the jaw relative to the link.

5., A safety ski binding as recited in claim 2, wherein the said point on said ski is located in front of the jaw member.

'6. A safety ski binding as recited in claim 2, wherein the said point integrally dependent on said ski is located in front of the jaw member.

7. A safety ski binding as recited in claim 2, wherein said jaw member includes a rear portion and said compression member acts against said rear portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,846,232 8/ 1958 S'chnell 2-8011.3'5

2,858,137 10/ 1958 Marker 2"80=1 l.35

3,232,631 2/ 1966 Witschard 280-1 1.35

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,372,663 8/ 1964 France.

BENJAMIN HE'RSH, Primary Eyaminer.

I. A. P'EKAR, Assistant Examiner. 

